Shelter from the Storm
by LemonSupreme
Summary: Charlie & Bass rush into Willoughby after a tornado has destroyed the town. They hope to find their loved ones, but instead they find grief and uncertainty in the piles of rubble. As they wait for word from Miles, they find themselves getting to know each other better - ahem - much better **blackout Charloe for Cornicopia/Pornicopia**
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is for thegoodshipcharloe's Cornicopia/Pornicopia challenge. There will be three or four chapters. The porn comes later.**

* * *

It is a chilly spring morning when the tornado the locals will later call "Bloody Mary", rips through Willoughby. It is sheer luck that Charlie and Bass are not there when it happens. They had drawn the short straws when it was time for a much needed supply run, and are maybe ten miles out, their wagon loaded down with boxes and barrels, when the storm clouds begin to gather.

"Should we find a place? Take cover?" Charlie asks, eyeing the dark clouds warily.

"No. Let's just go home." Bass is tense. Ever since the Tower, thunderstorms, and lightening in particular, put him on edge.

They keep going and as the rain begins to fall heavily, they pull an old tarp up over the wagon seat to keep them somewhat dry. Charlie glances at Monroe again. His jaw is set in a firm line and he isn't talking much. His knuckles are white with the force of his grip on the horses' reigns, and his breathing is shallow.

Charlie bites back all the things she wants to say. No need to poke a hornet's nest.

She stews silently for half a mile. She doesn't like this weather either, but clearly Monroe isn't interested in finding a place to wait it out, and she thinks that is a bad idea. She looks around. The sky in the distance is black. Clouds swirl angrily. The breeze takes on a decided bite. Cold rain beats down on their tarp and exposed skin.

This makes her think of the summer storms back in Wisconsin. Some of them had been brutal. She shivers at the memory. Bass shrugs out of his leather jacket and hands it to her. "Here. Wear this."

She doesn't argue. The rain is coming down hard. Visibility is low. Then, suddenly the rain stops. The clouds still swirl angrily and the air has a green tint to it. Charlie sits up straight and places a wary hand on Monroe's forearm. "We have to find cover NOW."

Maybe it is the tone of her voice. Maybe it is the sudden skittishness of the horses. Whatever changes his mind is irrelevant. He pulls sharply at the reigns, guiding the wagon into a grove of oak trees. In the distance they can hear a howling that sets Charlie's teeth on edge.

"Where do we go?" Bass asks. He is trying to put on a brave face, but Charlie can see raw fear under the surface.

"That bridge we just passed. It's an old steel one. Should stand up as good as anything." Charlie looks around the wagon. "Do we have rope?"

"Not much." Bass says, holding up a coil of it from where it's been stored under the seat. He's going to say more but Charlie is already in motion. She takes her knife and slices the long leather reigns from the horse's bridle. Then she unhitches the horses and smacks their haunches. The frightened animals run off into the howling wind.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Bass asks her.

"Shut up and follow me."

For once, the General does exactly as he is told. They run to the bridge and crawl under. Making their way through years of accumulated debris and undergrowth; it takes a minute to get to the center. There is a steel beam that supports the bridge and Charlie motions toward it. "Wrap your arms around."

He does as she asks. She takes the rope and wraps it around his body and the pole twice before knotting it firmly and moving in to wrap her arms around the other side of the beam. He understands and uses the leather reins to tie her to the beam as well.

All around them, the wind screams like an oncoming freight train. Instinctively, they wrap their arms around each other as best they can around the steel support, praying the ropes and leather straps will hold them in place.

Charlie feels her feet lift from the ground as the storm sucks at their bodies. Bass feels it too and he wraps his strong legs around her as best he can to help hold her in place. Charlie's hair whips around their heads and something slams into them from the side. Later, they will realize it is the rusty hood from an old Cadillac.

Although dazed and bruised from the hit, that piece of metal probably saves their lives. The next thing that flies under the bridge is a series of fence posts. They all bang off the Caddy hood, jarring Charlie and Bass, but not hurting them.

And then it is over.

The howling wind is gone and the sun peeks out.

"Holy shit," Bass whispers. "That was –"

"Yeah," Charlie agrees, letting out a deep breath. "Now, we have to get out of here and find Miles and my Mom and Grandpa."

"And Connor."

"Of course." Charlie nods absently as she begins to untie them from the pole.

Connor has been back for a few months. After his disappearing act almost a year before, everyone (including Bass) had given Connor up for dead. When he'd shown back up unexpectedly, he was different. One of the few survivors from Bradbury, Idaho; he will only say that the Nano isn't going to be a problem for anyone anymore.

Aaron and Priscilla had moved back to Wisconsin after the Patriot war had ended. Monroe sticks around for Miles. He and Rachel stay as far from each other as possible. Charlie is neutral in all their fights and somehow serves as the glue in their small (and highly dysfunctional) 'family'.

Bass and Charlie make their way out from under the bridge and stare in terrified awe. Everywhere they look, trees are toppled. An old rusty windmill is smashed into the road where they'd been riding not long before. A farmhouse on top of a nearby hill looks all wrong. "What's that on top of the house?" Charlie asks.

Bass sighs. "Pretty sure that's our wagon. Guess it was good to cut the horses loose."

The rest of their journey should only take three hours, but because of the debris and fallen trees, their pace is much slower than usual. Charlie and Bass reach Willoughby (or what is left of it) just after mid-day.

Buildings have been reduced to rubble. Some are simply missing. The clock tower has fallen onto the old library. Bodies of people and animals are seen here and there. A few survivors wander about, covered in grime and blood; they looked dazed. The once sleepy little town is now chaos wrapped in eerie silence. One thing is clear. Willoughby will never be the same again.

As Charlie and Bass get closer to Gene's road, they both feel a welling panic. Without thinking it through, she reaches for his hand as they round the last curve. He squeezes hard when they see it at the same time.

Her Grandpa's house is gone. In its place, there is a ragged pile of debris.

"No." Charlie's anguished whisper sends chills down Bass's spine.

"Maybe… Maybe they're okay –"He doesn't sound very convinced and his face is pale.

Charlie pulls her hand from his and begins to run, vaulting over a dead horse and around a rusted out Harley Davidson that is sitting in the middle of the street, wheels up, spinning in the breeze. Bass breaks into a run himself, following her, keeping an eye out.

"Miles!" he yells, eyes wild.

"Mom? Grandpa?" Charlie's voice is cracking with desperation.

"Connor! Miles! Rachel!" Bass is feeling it too. As they get closer to what is left of the Porter house, they are both overcome with dread. Piles of boards and bits of cracked glass litter the yard. Where the house itself had once stood, there is now a pile of rubble that is almost twelve feet tall.

Twice Bass uses trees as landmarks to ensure this is even the right place. Nothing has been left untouched. Nothing is as it should be. Everything they ever knew in this place is mangled and broken.

They dig for hours. After a while, they stop yelling out names, and then they stop talking altogether. They dig through piles of rubble that had once been a home. Surprisingly, there is very little that they can salvage. Charlie finds a tattered photo album and some silver spoons. Bass finds a wool blanket and a small box of candles. They start a small pathetic pile of these things that are all that remain of this family home.

They keep digging.

Gene's body is the first they recover. Charlie's shoulders are racked with exhausted sobs as she cries over his broken form. Bass digs a hole at the top of a hill behind where the house had once stood. An hour later he digs another grave. This one is for Rachel. Charlie is unable to shed any more tears. Bass worries that she is in shock.

She continues to dig in the pile.

He suggests they rest for a while.

"Gotta find Miles." Charlie's voice is hollow. "And Connor." This last bit is almost an afterthought, but Bass doesn't say anything. He only nods.

They dig until their fingers are bloody and their bodies are aching and the sun is gone. By then, the search has become more dangerous than it is helpful, and they both need rest.

Bass collects some water from a nearby well. They drink their fill. Neither can eat. Bass gives her the old wool blanket he'd found earlier. Charlie takes it to the top of the hill and lays it between the fresh graves of her mother and grandfather. Bass leans against a nearby tree, watching as she settles between the two piles of dirt. He watches her with haunted eyes until they grow far too heavy to watch anything at all.

Neither sleep well, but they do sleep.

* * *

They are still filthy and exhausted from the day before when they head back to the pile the next morning. The sun shines brightly. The air is cool and the birds are singing. The birdsong makes Bass's skin crawl. How can anything be so happy when the world around them is so utterly destroyed? He is reminded of those first awful days after the blackout. The singing birds had bothered him then too.

Charlie and Bass don't talk much. They wrap their torn and swollen hands with rags and they start digging where they'd left off the night before. They are thorough as they sift through broken boards and shattered plaster. Hours pass, but they find nothing that offers even a glimmer of hope.

They continue to dig.

"We gotta take a break," Bass says after another hour.

"Can't," she answers without looking up. "Miles could be in here. Still need to dig through the north end of the pile."

"Charlie." Bass steps closer. His eyes are bloodshot and he's covered with dirt. "Charlie. Look at me."

She looks. Her blue eyes are just as red rimmed as his. She is just as filthy. "What?"

"If Miles or Connor are still in there, it's too late now. They're gone."

She shakes her head with little jerks.

"You know I'm right. We can walk into town. Talk to some of the survivors. Maybe they weren't here at the house when the twister tore through. Maybe they were at the bar or something. Maybe someone saw one of them."

"You don't understand." She won't meet his eyes.

"Oh? What don't I understand?" Bass sounds weary.

Charlie takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "They're all dead. Miles is all I have left. He's it. Without him, I'm alone." Her voice comes and goes in spurts. She is doing her best not to break apart.

Bass throws down his shovel with far more force than is necessary. "Yeah, you're right, Charlotte. What would I know about losing everyone?" He runs a hand through his hair, not even noticing the streak of his own blood he leaves behind on his cheek. "I'm going into town. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Charlie watches him walk away. Of course Monroe knows what she's going through. He's probably the only one who does. It doesn't matter. All that matters is finding Miles. She moves to the north end of the pile and begins to dig once more.

Bass has only been gone for ten minutes when Charlie pushes aside a broken rafter and sees something that makes her heartbeat stutter. Tears well and she chokes back a sob as she reaches for the thing that is wedged under the edge of a chunk of wall. Something that looks a lot like a boot.

* * *

Bass doesn't talk to anyone who remembers seeing Miles or Connor but there are rumors of at least three different wagons full of injured people leaving town within a few hours of the storm passing through. Bass is skeptical of most of the stories because they are all different. Some say that one wagon had been headed to the little hospital in nearby Arnette. Another was maybe headed to Austen. The existence of a third is speculated upon, but its destination is unknown.

He talks to every person he can find, but gives up after two hours. Nobody knows anything that can truly help. Most of the survivors are looking for missing loved ones of their own and don't have any more information for him than he has for them.

Bass stops to help an old man who is burying his wife. In return the man pays Bass with a stale loaf of bread and four apples. Bass takes the food gratefully, but heads back to Charlie with a heavy heart. His boots crunch on broken glass as he rounds the final curve and 'the pile' comes into view. He scans the rubble and feels a lurch of dread when he doesn't see her. His pace quickens.

Movement up on hill catches his eye. She's kneeling between the fresh mounds of dirt. At first, Bass thinks she's taking a break to visit the graves.

He stops short when he sees that she's patting a fresh pile of dirt between the first two. "Oh no," he breathes out, before breaking into a run. He reaches her side in seconds, dropping the food onto the grass at his feet. Whatever she's buried isn't big enough to be a body. The fresh pile of earth is no bigger than a small suitcase. Confusion swirls, mixing with the dread. "Charlie? What is that?"

She looks up at him through hanging strands of greasy curls and her eyes are wet, which he expects. It is the grin that surprises and terrifies him. "He's okay," she says. Her voice is shaky.

Bass takes a step back, unsure. "What are you talking about? Who is okay and what is that?" he points at the small mound of dirt.

She uses the back of her hand to wipe her nose and nods toward the pile. "A boot." Her smile is still wide and it does not waver.

A shiver slides down his spine. "A boot?" Bass worries suddenly for her sanity. Maybe she's finally lost too much. Rachel and Gene had been bad enough. Now Miles? Connor? Whoever she thinks she's lost now – this may have been the final straw. "Charlotte, who's boot is that?" he asks, his voice growing louder.

"Miles. It's Miles's boot. I'd know it anywhere." She stands, wiping her palms on the thighs of her already filthy jeans.

Bass's heart falls. "I don't understand."

"I found him. I found Miles. He's okay." She's still smiling and it's making Bass's hair stand on end.

"Charlie?" Bass puts his hand on her shoulder. His eyes narrow as he tries to figure out what's going on.

She looks up at him with bright eyes and a hopeful smile. "Yeah?"

"What the hell are you talking about? What's all this about a boot?"

"Miles. I found him. Well, I found part of him."

Now he's positive. Rachel's crazy genes have finally trickled down to Charlie and she's gone insane while he was in town. "What do you mean, Charlie? PART of him?"

"Found his boot."

"And you buried his boot?" Bass tries to imagine how he can take care of her if she's gone off the deep end. Maybe he can get help in Austen? There might be a mental hospital there.

"Well, his foot was still inside." She grimaces a little but then the smile is back. "It was jammed under a wall that had fallen. He must have been stuck."

"His foot? You found his foot and you're happy?" Bass is appalled at the implication of what this means. He feels a wave of nausea rush over him as grief sinks into his gut. "Miles is dead?"

Charlie reaches out and presses her hands against his chest. "No. You don't understand. He's not dead. He's okay."

Bass's eyes are wet and his hand is shaking as he runs it along his jaw. "Okay? How is he okay?"

Charlie steps away from him and walks back to where an old shovel is still wedged in the dirt. " I also found this." She holds up a rusty hack saw, the blade of which is covered in dried blood. "And this." Charlie hands him a splintered chunk of siding. It was white once, long ago. Now it is speckled with moss and chipped paint.

He takes the siding from her and takes a deep breath. He needs to get a grip. Missing Connor, Dead Miles and Crazy Charlie? This is almost more than he can take.

"Turn it over."

He turns the chunk of siding over and his heartbeat thunders in his chest. "Shit," he says as hope surges through the fear and grief.

On the board in what he wishes is brown paint, but he knows is actually blood; is written a message. "All ok. Will be back. M". It is the M that he can't tear his eyes from. It is the M of the Monroe Republic insignia. It is the way he and Miles signed all their notes to each other when they were kids.

"He's alive?"

"Yeah, he's alive – just, you know, missing a foot."

Bass stares at the hacksaw and swallows hard. "Sweet Jesus. You think he had to…?"

She nods. "Unless he had help."

Bass's head jerks up and his eyes meet hers. "Wait. Does this say "We'll" or "Will"?"

"Not sure. It's too smeared."

"So Connor could be with him?"

"Yeah." She tilts her head thoughtfully. "Has to be with him. Not like he's going anywhere without help." She pats the pile of dirt lightly with her boot. "Where do you think they went? Maybe we should head out in the morning and find them?"

Bass shakes his head. "Some of the people in town say there were a few wagons that left loaded with injured people, but nobody I talked to knew where any of the wagons were headed. We might end up going in totally the wrong direction and miss them when they come back."

"So, we just wait here?"

"Well, yeah." He nods toward dark clouds rolling in. "But we need somewhere with a roof. Looks like it's going to storm again." There are enough boards and other building supplies left." He looks around the pile dubiously. "I think we can build a shelter of some kind. Won't be perfect, but it will probably work."

Charlie shakes her head, exhaustion finally catching up with her. "No. I think I know a place we can use that won't require a lot of work. We'll just have to find it."

Bass is also feeling the effects of the physical and emotional stress of the last couple of days. Unlike Charlie, he is not completely optimistic of their chances of ever finding their missing loved ones again, but he'll be supportive and hope for the best. He knows what she's going through and it's not easy. If Miles is alive and comes back, he'll want Charlie to be safe. If Miles isn't alive, Charlie will need every friendly face she can find.

Truth is, Bass will need a friendly face too.

Are they friends? Bass isn't sure. He doesn't think they are enemies anymore, which is a start. Until they find out for sure about Miles, Bass will stick close to her. Charlie has a habit of getting into trouble and Bass knows that Miles will kill him if anything happens to her.

He nods at Charlie. "Sounds good. Let's get the things we can save and find this place you know. Hopefully it hasn't blown over in the storm."

She smiles a little, but it's a sad smile. "Nah. Nothing would blow down the place I'm taking us to." Charlie collects the blanket, the food and the old photo album. Bass carries the box of candles, the siding with Miles's note, the shovel and the hacksaw and he follows.

As they walk along, Bass looks at the saw and shovel and shakes his head, remembering all they'd left behind in the wagon that is no more. "Sure wish I had my swords."

"Yeah, I miss my bow. Hunting is going to be a bitch with just a knife."

"We'll figure something out, Charlie. I'll go back to town tomorrow and find some proper weapons."

She nods. "Sounds good. We're almost there."

Gene and Charlotte Porter had built their house in 1964. They had selected a lot on the very outer boundary of Willoughby. Softly rolling hills framed the property on two sides. The front of the house had faced the town. Winding through the hills behind the house was a creek.

Bass follows Charlie along the sandy creek bed. They are out of sight of the Porter property, but have not traveled far when Charlie slows. "It's along here somewhere, I think."

"What is it we're looking for, exactly?"

The hill on their left is steep, rocky and covered with soft green vines. Charlie holds a hand out, touching the stones as they walk along. "We're looking for the old Otis."

This means nothing to Bass. "What the hell is the old Otis?"

"The Otis was a silver mine in the 1890s. Before it was closed, there was a robbery and a shoot out and Grandpa always told me that it was haunted. He was probably just trying to keep me from exploring." For the first time since they'd first found Gene's body, Charlie is sounding more like herself.

"And I'm guessing it didn't stop you at all?"

"Nope. I stayed down here for a week each summer before the blackout. I was little, but they let me wander around some. I loved coming here. I would fish with Grandma's old pole or go swimming. I brought picnic lunches and sat in the house part of the cave that led to the mine."

"The house part? What does that mean?"

"The entry to the mine was like a room. It was a great hiding place. The air was cool and the floor was flat stone. I never went into the mine itself. I always figured it might cave in, but I loved that room."

"So where is it?" Bass is enjoying her story but he's exhausted and worried and more than ready to just pass out. A soft rain begins to fall and he groans. "Come on Charlie. Are you sure this is the right place?"

"I thought so, but it's been a while –" She stumbles as her hand falls through the vines into an opening in the wall. "A-ha! Here it is."

They move the vines aside just enough to walk into the opening and out of the rain which is now coming down much harder. Bass lights a candle and shines it around the space. "Hey Charlie?"

"Yeah?" She walks up behind him to see what he's seeing.

"Looks like someone else already lives here."

The dark is inky black, but the candle light shimmers off the uneven cave walls. The floor is firm and smooth under their feet. The cave smells earthy and damp. The air is cool. Everything about Charlie's house room feels like a cave. Everything except for the furniture.

"What the hell?" Charlie asks as a smile slowly grows across her face.

In the center of the room stands a rough hewn wooden table and a single straight back chair. A rusty baker's rack leans against one wall. On its shelves are dusty jars of pickles, cans of coffee and some mismatched dishes. Along the opposite wall is the best surprise of all.

"Is that a bed?" Bass asks, his every fiber aching with exhaustion.

"Yeah," Charlie says reverently. "A bed."

Bass takes a few steps closer to the bed and then turns, holding the candle so that she can see his face. "So, we have one problem," he says.

"Oh, what's that?"

Bass tilts his head toward the bed and smirks. "The last tenant hasn't moved out, Charlie. We're gonna have to evict him." He shrugs. "Or her. I really can't tell."

Charlie pushes past Monroe to see for herself. "Oh." She grimaces down at the bed and it's skeletal occupant. "Yeah, that's gotta go."

* * *

 **A/N More coming soon! Next up from me will be the final chap of Two Roads. Please leave a comment here if you have a moment. -Lemon**


	2. Chapter 2

Bass hands Charlie the flickering candle and overturns a wooden box that sits on the stone floor next to the bed. It had probably served as a table when the dead guy needed such things. "I'll put the bones in here for now. We can bury them in the morning."

Charlie doesn't argue. The rain is coming down hard outside and she is in no mood to get wet again anytime soon. She watches Monroe as he carefully places the bones inside the box. Charlie is pretty sure the care he's taking is for her benefit. He's worried for her mental state. She can see it in his eyes when he bothers to look at her. Charlie has had a couple of bad days, but she's stronger than he realizes. She's just too tired to point it out.

He pulls aside the thin tarp that has served as the skeleton's blanket, exposing the leg bones and then pauses. "Fucking creepy."

"What?" She asks. "Something creepier than you picking up a dead guy's bones so we can use his bed?"

He glares at her over his shoulder. "No, Charlotte. What's creepy is the way the bones are laid out. This isn't where he died. Someone took the bones from somewhere else and laid them here. Made it look like he was sleeping." Bass begins moving bones again, muttering under his breath. "Really fucking creepy."

"So, does that mean the sheets are sort of clean?" Charlie asks, eyeing the bed. She's never felt this tired in her life. "Since just the bones were here? No blood or whatever…"

"Clean enough." Bass drops the last of the bones into the box and uses his hand to brush off any remaining debris. "Bring me the blanket."

Charlie hands him the blanket. Bass spreads it over the dusty sheets and climbs in, flopping face down on the mattress.

"Hey." Charlie says. "What about me? Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"Get in or don't get in. Doesn't matter to me. I'm going to sleep."

"There's not much room."

"We're sleeping, Charlie. Not fucking. We don't need a lot of room to sleep." His voice is muffled. He's fading fast.

"As if I would ever fuck you." Charlie growls as she reluctantly crawls in next to him. The bed is narrow but when she lies down beside Monroe, she manages to settle comfortably without touching him at all. Her eyes fall shut, heavy with fatigue.

She doesn't bother responding when Monroe mutters, "G'night, Charlie."

The entry room to the old Otis silver mine is dark, warm and dry. The sound of the falling rain echoes through the chamber, lulling them both into a deep, exhausted sleep.

* * *

Charlie wakes with a start, her heart pounding. She senses Monroe still sprawled out beside her and relaxes a little into the mattress.

"Bad dream?" Monroe's voice is rougher than usual, thick with sleep.

"Yeah. I dreamed about Miles…" She isn't sure she even wants to tell him about the dream, and her voice trails off.

He props up on an elbow, watching her in the dim morning light. "What about Miles?"

"He was here and he was eating something and telling me not to worry about him." Charlie shudders at the memory.

Monroe frowns. "Doesn't sound so bad."

She turns to face him. "It was his foot. He had roasted it and was eating the flesh off the bone."

Bass screws up his nose in distaste. "Why was he eating his own foot?"

"Don't know. He said 'it tastes like chicken'."

Monroe pauses for a moment and then throws his head back and laughs. It is a hearty laugh that Charlie doesn't ever remember hearing come from him before. She watches him curiously, and can't help but smile back and laugh with him. His mirth is contagious. When he smiles, he looks younger, less burdened. She tries not to notice how the skin around his eyes crinkles alluringly.

Their laughter fades as memories of the days before come crashing in. Rachel is dead. Gene is dead. Miles and Connor are both missing. Their gaze holds. She feels that he sometimes sees deeper into her than anyone else she has ever known. He's doing it now and she feels too exposed, emotionally naked.

Charlie looks away.

Bass clears his throat, deciding to change the subject. "Still raining pretty hard. Guess we're stuck here for a while." He gets out of bed and walks to the door which is still mostly sheltered by hanging vines. "I slept good. You?"

She nods and gets up. Her empty stomach rumbles loudly. "Yeah, and now I'm hungry."

He walks over to the old baker's rack where he'd stowed the bread and fruit the night before. He tears the loaf in half and gives some to Charlie along with two of the apples. They eat silently, listening to the rain and looking around the space.

Everything is covered in dust. "Wonder how long that guy was in here?" Charlie asks.

"Years. Hard to say for sure. Been dead a while. Wonder why he was living in a cave at all?"

"Well, it's a good shelter. A good place to hide. Maybe he was running from something?"

"Maybe he had nowhere to go. No family." Bass points to the cans of coffee and pickles. "He lived a pretty solitary life here."

"No family." Charlie feels a tightness in her chest and takes a deep breath.

Bass watches her for a moment, unsure what to say. He turns and sifts through the items on the shelves. "Some candles, a few matches, some really old beef jerky and this." He holds something out to her. It's a baseball glove. "Maybe he used to play ball or something? Couldn't let go of the past?"

Charlie nods. "Sometimes it's hard to let go of the past." She looks over at the pile of things she'd brought in the night before and picks up the old photo album. She hasn't had the heart to look at it yet, but figures she might as well do that now. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she opens the little book. The binding is ripped and some of the pages have suffered water damage, but most of the pictures have survived.

The rain still pours outside and the wind howls. The light is dim in the small room, but Bass settles down beside her. He doesn't invade her personal space, but he is close enough to look over her shoulder.

She opens the book and flips through the first few pages quickly. They are mostly scenes from a mountain vacation and don't include people. She turns another page and the pictures here are much different. Bass chuckles when they see Charlie in a Dora the Explorer bathing suit, carrying a fishing pole in one hand and a string of fish in the other. She is grinning proudly at the camera.

"How old were you there?"

"Five or six." Charlie smiles down at the picture. "That was probably taken my last summer here. Grandpa and I went swimming or fishing every day. He would sing me songs and tell me ghost stories. Then we'd go back to the house and Grandma Charlotte would have fresh baked cookies ready for us."

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun here." Monroe says.

"Yeah. It was great. Mom and Dad were always busy and Danny was always sick. When I came down here for a visit, it was just me and my grandparents. They spoiled me, I guess." She shrugs.

"Pretty sure that's how it's supposed to work. Grandparents always spoil their grandkids."

"Yeah. I guess so. I don't remember my dad's parents. They died when I was really little."

"Well, I remember them." Bass smiles at long forgotten memories. "Your Grandpa Gus smoked cigars and guzzled bourbon. He was always laughing and telling dirty jokes. Your Grandma Mary was sweet and kind and as different from Gus as a person could be. She made the best apple pie I've ever tasted."

Charlie looks up from the album, and meets his gaze. "Sometimes I forget that you knew them …"

"Well, I didn't have any grandparents, but Gus and Mary treated me like I was part of their family. At Christmas, they hung an extra stocking up on the fireplace with my name on it." He looks down at his hands. "They were good people."

Charlie feels strange, having this type of conversation with Monroe, and senses that he wishes he hadn't said anything. She turns the page again. The next few pictures are from the same summer and mostly are of Charlie. She tells him a little about each one.

Toward the back of the album several loose pictures are shoved between the pages. Charlie pulls them out. The top picture is of a younger Gene Porter next to a smiling blond woman. Charlie sucks in a deep breath. "God, I miss him so much already."

Monroe doesn't say anything. He knows there's really nothing to say.

She goes through the rest of the pile. There are more pictures of her grandparents, a few of Danny, Charlie's kindergarten school portrait and then there are some snapshots from Rachel and Ben's wedding. Bass takes one of these from her and looks at it closely. "I might be in this one." He points to one corner. "See, right there."

"You were at their wedding?"

"Yeah. Miles and I were pretty trashed by the time the ceremony rolled around. He was best man."

"Was that awkward? Miles and my Mom already had some history by then, right?" She's never known this for sure, but has suspected as much ever since they started making eyes at each other.

"Awkward would be an understatement."

"Did my Mom cheat on my Dad with Miles?"

Bass shakes his head. "You can ask Miles all the questions you want when we see him. Not my place."

She shrugs, not terribly surprised.

Bass wants to change the subject and points to a bridesmaid with long brown hair in one of the pictures. "Pretty sure I nailed this girl at the reception."

Charlie frowns. "Gross."

Bass looks at her and cocks an eye brow. "If you think sex is gross, you've been doing it wrong."

"Whatever." Charlie isn't sure why this turn in the conversation bothers her, but it does. She puts the album down and walks to the door, looking out into the rain. "Hey, it's starting to let up."

Bass walks up behind her and looks out as well. Sure enough, the rain has slowed to a light shower. The raindrops make little circles in the stream and the leaves on the trees are glossy and green. "We should walk into Willoughby. See if we can scrounge up some supplies."

She nods. "Soap. We need some soap. I'd kill for a –" She breaks off as Monroe's hand clamps over her mouth. Instinctively, she bites down hard.

"Fuck!" he says in a harsh whisper, but he doesn't let her go. Instead he nods toward the south.

Charlie relaxes as she sees the two figures walking along the creek, coming their way. Now that she understands why he was trying to silence her, she nods back at him so that he knows she'll be quiet.

He removes his hand from her mouth.

"Who are they?" she asks, her voice a soft whisper.

"War clan members. Look at their arms."

Charlie watches as the man and woman get closer. They are laughing at something, and look harmless enough if you ignore the weapons hanging from their waists. She looks at the black tattoos that cover both of the man's arms and one of the woman's. "What do they mean? The tattoos?"

"Those diamond shaped markings each represent kills. It's typical of the Plains clans. These two are probably out of the St. Louis area. No idea why they're down this far south, but it won't be good."

"Can we take them in a fight?" She asks.

"With what? Your little knife? Look at his swords. We wouldn't stand a chance. Let's just wait till they move on. We'll still go to town later, and we'll definitely get some proper weapons while we're there."

"And soap." Charlie says with a frown. "I really want some soap."

"We'll get some. Just gotta wait them out."

Charlie walks back over to the bed and sits again. "Do you think it's weird?"

"That St Louis killers are walking by our cave in Texas? Yeah. Very weird."

"No." Charlie shakes his head. "I mean the way I am. Shouldn't I be crying or something? I'm sad about my Mom and Grandpa but – " She shrugs.

"But what?"

"But I kind of feel like I cried enough the other day. Now the only thing that makes me want to cry is the thought of losing Miles." Charlie shakes her head. "Maybe it hasn't hit me yet? I don't know."

"Everyone grieves differently, Charlie. There's nothing weird about it. It is what it is."

They both fall silent at the sound of a human cry from outside. Charlie is at the door in a heartbeat, peeking through the curtain of glistening green vines at the two naked bodies grinding together on the sandy shore of the creek. "What are they doing?" Charlie asks, incredulously.

Bass is behind her. "I guess you were doing it wrong. Seems pretty obvious to me."

She bristles at the mocking tone in his voice. "I know what they're doing, asshole. Why are they doing it here?"

"Pretty sure they think they're all alone."

Bass and Charlie watch, eyes riveted to the tattooed couple, rutting like animals, not fifteen feet away. The man is pounding into the woman and she is arching her back and moaning. He growls as he begins to thrust with more force. He comes hard, still deep inside her. She's writhing beneath him. He moves quickly, pulling out to reposition and bury his face between her thighs, licking and sucking her pussy.

Charlie feels a stirring in her core. Her heartbeat accelerates and her face goes hot. She tears her eyes away and turns suddenly, crashing into Monroe who is standing closer than she had thought he was. She falters and he grasps her shoulders to steady her. They find themselves standing chest to chest.

"That was –" Charlie starts, but she doesn't even know what to say.

"Yeah it was." Bass's voice is lower than usual and Charlie shivers. This slight movement brings her into contact with the indisputable proof that Monroe is also affected by the show outside. His cock is hard against her belly.

Charlie freezes and looks up at him with wide eyes. For just a moment, he looks embarrassed but he recovers quickly, shrugging. "It's been a while, Charlie. Not a big deal."

She can't help but think that it actually had felt like a very big deal, but decides that comment would only make their situation more uncomfortable, if that's even possible. "You can let me go now," she says instead.

He releases her quickly, turning and walking to the far wall. He leans there, watching her warily.

She doesn't meet his gaze. "Like you said. Not a big deal. I just wish they'd get done so we could leave."

"Maybe we can find another way out." Bass nods toward an opening along the back wall. It is framed by old wooden beams. Beyond the door, the mine is inky black.

"No. Grandpa always warned me that this was the only way in or out. There have been a lot of cave-ins over the years and the mine itself is unsafe."

"Well, then we have some time to kill. Sounds like they're starting on round two."

"Jesus." Charlie mutters, more uncomfortable than ever.

Monroe feels it too – an awkwardness between them. He decides it's time to think about something else. "You said your Grandpa told you ghost stories?"

She nods, relieved. "Yeah. His favorite was about this outlaw who tried to rob the silver mine. The outlaw was a man named McGee and he was being chased by Texas Rangers when he got to Willoughby. He heard about the mine and decided to see if he could get something out of it. The miners outsmarted him and he ran, but the only place he could run was deeper into the mine. The story was that old Otis himself, trapped McGee in one of the caverns and then set off a blast that buried him alive."

Bass cracks a smile. "And the thief McGee haunts this place looking for a way out?"

"Yeah. He wanders around the mine, looking for an exit and never finding one." She smiles sadly. "Grandpa loved that story."

"I'm sorry, Charlie."

She looks up, surprised. "For what?"

"Your Grandpa. Your Mom. All of it."

"You hated my Mom." Charlie closes her eyes.

"But you didn't, and I know it's not easy to lose family."

She lets out a long breath. There are a million things she could say about losing family and the part he's played in that in the past, but what would be the point? It's taken time, but gradually Charlie has forgiven him for the part he'd played in Danny's and her Dad's deaths. "Yeah. Well, I just hope Miles is okay."

"He is. Connor is too." Bass nods confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" she asks.

"If Miles was dead, I'd just know." Monroe pauses and then shakes his head. "He's not dead."

Charlie isn't sure if Bass is just being optimistic or if he really does have some psychic connection to his oldest friend. Either way, she decides to go along with it. There's nothing wrong with having some hope.

She points toward the door. "You think they're done?"

Bass walks over and looks out. "Yeah, but we're still stuck."

"Why?" Charlie walks over to see for herself. Looking through the narrow opening between the vines, she sees what Bass had seen. Instead of two clansman, there are now six. And in the distance at least ten more are walking this way. "They're setting up camp? Here?" Desperation drips from every word.

"Yep. Setting up camp right in front of the mine's only fucking door." Bass slaps his palm against the smooth rock wall. "Have I mentioned how much I love your hiding place?"

"Hey, if you wanted to stay out in the thunder and lightning and pouring rain, you could have. Nobody forced you to come in here."

"I know." He deflates a little. "We have to come up with a plan. Who knows how long they'll be out there. We need food and weapons."

Charlie places a hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure something out."

"I can help."

Charlie and Bass both whirl at the sound of a new voice. By the inner door that leads into the blackness of the mine itself, stands a boy. He's maybe twelve. He's dirty and his clothes hang loosely from his slender frame. He has shaggy brown hair and piercing green eyes. He holds a small burning torch in one hand.

"Who the hell are you?" Bass asks, instinctively stepping between Charlie and the boy. "Are you with the clan?"

The boy shakes his head. "Hell, no."

"Are you a ghost?" Charlie asks, knowing she sounds ridiculous but not caring. Her heart hammers in her chest.

The boy raises an eyebrow. "No. Are you an idiot?"

Charlie falters, but quickly recovers. "Sorry. Who are you and how did you get in here?"

"I'm Teddy Mathews and I live in Willoughby. I come in here all the time. I like to explore."

"Mathews? Related to Joe?" Bass asks.

Teddy nods. "He's my uncle."

"But how did you get in? We've been standing here by the door." Charlie steps around Bass, moving closer to the boy who is clearly no threat.

"There's an old ventilation shaft down one of the corridors. It's small, but so am I so I can squeeze in."

"You come here a lot?" Charlie asks.

"Yeah. I come to look around. I found some silver chunks twice and I found some old tools once. And I always check on the dead guy." He nods toward the bed and then narrows his eyes at them. "What did you do with him?"

Bass points to the wooden box in the corner. "We needed the bed so we put him in there. Were you the one who arranged his bones on the bed?"

"Yeah." The boy nods. "I found him. He'd died inside the big cavern and I didn't want to just leave him there. I think this was where he lived so I brought him home. I check on him whenever I am down here. I guess that's weird." The boy won't meet their eyes.

Charlie smiles at him, reassuringly. "No. It's sweet."

He smiles back at her, his cheeks reddening slightly. "Anyway, I heard noises and came in to see what was going on. Who are you?"

Charlie holds out a hand for Teddy to shake. "I'm Charlie. This is Bass. Dr. Porter was my Grandpa."

Teddy has a strong grip but he frowns. "Was?"

"Yeah." Charlie says. "Died in the storm. Lots of folks did."

"I liked him. He was a nice guy." Teddy says. "Sorry."

"Thank you." Charlie looks to Monroe, silently begging him to take over the conversation. He understands.

"We came in here to get dry and find a safe place to sleep. The storm took out our house." Monroe says. "How about your family? Everyone okay? What about where you live?"

"Uncle Joe's house is fine. Haven't seen him though. Not sure if he's okay or not."

"What about Heather?"

The boy shrugs. He looks like he might cry, so Charlie changes the subject. "Can you show us how to get out of here? We need to get back to town for supplies and we need to leave a message with somebody for when my uncle Miles comes back."

"I'll show you where I came in, but you won't fit. Maybe I can go get supplies and bring them back?"

Bass and Charlie exchange a long gaze. Bass turns to Teddy and nods. "Lead the way."

"I don't know about this." Charlie says as they follow him through the door into the unknown cavern beyond.

"What else can we do?" Bass asks. "Kid's willing to help. We gotta let him. See what happens."

The light from the small torch shines eerily along the narrow corridor. Every ten or twelve feet, there are wooden braces helping to support the shaft. The floor is damp and the air is cooler. "Watch out for snakes," The boy warns over his shoulder.

Bass stops. "Snakes."

Teddy chuckles. "Just kidding. Nothing down here but bats that I've ever seen."

"Oh that's so much better."

Teddy shrugs. "They've never bothered me. Okay we turn here. If you go straight you'll get to one of the cave ins. It's a dead end." They turn when he does and find themselves in a huge room. "This is where I found the dead guy. Over there, on the other side of the pool."

"Pool?" Charlie asks. "What do you mean?"

He tilts his torch down a bit so that they can see what he's talking about. "Probably fed by the creek outside, but I don't know for sure. It's fresh water. I think it's where the dead guy would take a bath or whatever."

"A bath." Charlie says. "I'd kill for a bath."

"You can just take one now," the boy says with a suggestive grin. "I'll hold the torch so you can see what you're doing."

Charlie shakes her head. "Nice try, kid. I'll wait till I have some time alone and some soap."

Bass frowns at Teddy. "What are you, twelve?"

"I'm thirteen. I'm just short for my age. What are you, fifty?"

Charlie laughs and Bass growls something about children being seen and not heard. They've left the big pool room and it's slower going now because rocks litter the floor of this passage.

"You're sure this is safe? Ever been down here when there was a cave in?" Charlie asks.

"Yeah, once. That's why I'm careful. Don't want to ever go through that again." He points ahead. "Almost there."

They can see some natural light filtering down from a small hole in the wall. The hole is very narrow. Bass and Charlie both can see that the kid was right. An adult would never fit through. Their shoulders would get stuck. "You think you can bring stuff back? How will you and stuff fit?"

"I'll tie a bag to my foot and drag things back in." Teddy shrugs. "Just tell me what you need. I'll leave the torch with you. I have another one at the other end of the shaft."

"Food, soap and clean clothes." Charlie says.

"Weapons, matches, another blanket." Bass adds.

"And something we can write a note on that you can take back."

Teddy nods. "I can help with all that. Well, not sure about weapons. I'll see what I can find."

Charlie steps forward and puts a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Thanks Teddy. We really appreciate your help."

He beams at her. "Happy to do it. I'll be back in a couple hours." Then he hands the torch to Charlie before scrambling up over the rocks that are piled under the opening and disappearing inside it.

They make their way back to the room where they slept the night before and watch through the vines as the clansmen make themselves comfortable in their new camp. Charlie and Bass don't talk much, each lost in their own thoughts, each wondering how the hell they can get out of this particular predicament.

"Hope he comes back." Charlie says. "He's going to come back, right?"

"I think he's half in love with you." Bass says with a frown. "He'll be back."

"You're delusional. He's just a kid and we just met him. Why would he love me?"

Bass looks at Charlie. She is filthy. Her hair hangs in dirty, matted curls. She's wearing clothes stained with sweat and blood. She should be an emotional wreck after all that's happened. In spite of all that they've been through, Charlie is strong. She is also breathtakingly beautiful.

"No idea, Charlie." A lump lodges in his throat, but he lies smoothly because he's used to hiding his emotions from this woman. "No idea at all."

* * *

 **A/N: One more chapter to this I think. Sorry if you are reading "Two Roads Diverged" and are wondering when that will get updated. I hope to have it this week. I'm behind on writing and reading/reviewing as well. I have one of those awful head colds that never goes away and cold medicine is not conducive to much other than sleep. I'm feeling better though, and hope to be back to my usual self soon. Comment if you have a minute. Smut will be in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

True to his word, Teddy returns in just over two hours after leaving the mine. When he slides through the ventilation shaft, he has a big canvas bag tied to his right foot. Bass helps pull him into the cavern and Charlie catches the bag. Once he's on solid ground, Teddy unties it and hands it over.

"Let's go into the front. We can set all this stuff on the old table in the entry room."

Charlie looks at Teddy. "Were you able to find the things we need?"

"Some. Not all." He shrugs. "Supplies are scarce for everybody. I had to steal the things in the bag."

They follow Bass into the room with the furniture and he empties the sack on the wooden table. The three stare at the contents. Bass sighs.

Teddy has brought some apples, two small cucumbers, three biscuits and some venison jerky. There's a towel, a bar of lye soap, a wool blanket with a hole in the middle, a pack of cards, a bottle of moonshine and a paring knife. There are two pairs of cotton pants and one tee shirt.

"Is this it?"

Teddy digs in a pocket and pulls out a scrap of brown paper and a stubby pencil. "There. That's it. Sorry I couldn't get more. Nobody wanted to help. Nobody even wanted to answer their door."

Bass frowns at the kid. "Thought you were from Willougby. Why wouldn't they help you?"

"The people that are left are scared to death. After the storm came through, those clan guys came to town and took a lot of what was left. They killed a bunch more folks too."

"Shit." Bass grumbles. "And we're stuck in here twiddling our thumbs."

"The only good news is that the clan probably won't stay around long. Not much left in Willoughby for them to steal."

"I suppose we can get by on this for now." He looks Teddy in the eye. "Thanks, Kid."

"No problem. You need anything else?"

Charlie grabs the smaller of the two pairs of pants, the tee shirt, the soap and towel. "I'm taking a bath." She points at Teddy. "Stay here. Keep each other entertained till I get back."

Bass watches her as she takes the torch and leaves through the dark door into the mine.

Teddy scoots the table across the floor so that he can sit on the chair and Bass can sit across from him on the bed. The boy starts to shuffle the cards, watching Monroe carefully as he sits. "So, what's your deal?"

Bass looks at the kid. "What are you talking about?"

"You and her. Is she your girlfriend?"

Bass frowns. "No."

"Daughter? Niece?"

"No."

"So why are you guys in here together?"

"That's a long story."

"I got time." Teddy says as he begins to deal. "You play hearts, right?"

"Sure."

"So, you were telling me what your deal is with Charlie?"

"No. I wasn't." Bass furrows his brow and stares at his cards.

Teddy smiles. "I think I know."

"Please enlighten me." Bass opens the bottle of moonshine and takes a drink.

"You kind of love her but you don't want her to know."

Bass's eyes fly to the kid's and then to the open door which is still empty. He looks back at Teddy and swallows the burning liquid with a grimace. "That's not how it is."

"Whatever. I see the way you look at her when she's not looking. You want me to ask her if she likes you back?"

Monroe scowls. "You want to die young?"

"That's not very nice."

"Never said I was very nice." Bass counters.

"Well, you look at her the same way my Dad always looked at his girlfriend before she ran off. He looked at her like she was food and he was hungry, but also like he would rip apart anyone who might hurt her. That's how you look at Charlie."

"It's not like that, damn it. She's my best friend's niece and we fought together in the Patriot war and she's lost everyone..." he trails off. "We're just friends, sort of."

"What does that mean?"

"Sometimes I think we're friends. Sometimes I'm not sure. We get along most of the time."

"But you wish you got along a lot better. Am I right?" Teddy wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and Bass throws his cards at the boy.

"You've got it all wrong." Bass stands and starts to pace. "It doesn't matter what I want. She's not available. Not to me."

"So, you're a spineless pussy?" Teddy leans back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No. That's not it at all," Bass growls.

"The way I see it, you just need to be brave. Tell her how you feel and see what happens."

"No."

"Why not?" Teddy counters. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid, but I know she'd never be interested in me like that. There are a lot of reasons, none of which are any of your business." Bass shakes his head. "Listen, we get along right now. That's good enough. It's more than I deserve."

Teddy shrugs. "You keep telling yourself that."

Monroe closes his eyes and breathes deeply. Teddy is lucky that he's just a child. If an adult talked to him like this, Bass would slice him open. He opens his mouth to say so when Charlie walks in.

Her hair is damp and her skin is clear of grime and blood. She's wearing a snug tee shirt and grey sweatpants that are far too big. She has a handful of the waistband in one hand, keeping them in place. Charlie grins at Teddy and then at Bass. "Here." She hands Bass the towel with a smile. "Soap is still in there. The water is cold, but it's worth it. I feel like a brand new woman. I even washed my clothes."

"You clean up really nice." Teddy's eyes are wide as he takes her in.

Bass smacks the kid in the back of the head. "You show her respect, Half Pint, or I will kick your scrawny ass. Understand?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Go take your bath. I'll be very respectful."

Charlie plops down in the place Bass had been sitting earlier. "What are we playing?"

"Hearts?"

She nods at the kid, but her eyes are on Monroe as he leaves the room. "Was he nice to you?"

"Not really, but that's okay. He worries about you."

"No. He just feels obligated to keep me safe. It's different. He's afraid my uncle will kill him if anything happens to me. Truth is I saved his ass in the tornado. Idiot was going to drive right through it. Anyway, he has a complex. Always trying to save me."

"I don't think it has anything to do with your uncle." Teddy begins to deal.

"No other reason. We barely get along."

"That's not how it looked to me. Looked like you guys got along fine. You don't think he's cute?"

Charlie looks up from her cards, arching an eyebrow. "Monroe, cute? Uh no." She shakes her head and chuckles. "I haven't thought any guy was cute since I was, well – your age."

"Fine. Not cute then. Do you get excited when you see him? Does your heart beat faster when you're with him? Does your stomach do little flips when he's around?"

Charlie lays down her cards and tilts her head. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Teddy rolls his eyes. "God. Grown-ups are dense."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you like him and I think that he likes you."

Charlie grins wide and her eyes sparkle and then she throws her head back and laughs. She laughs so hard that she finally falls on the bed and holds her stomach. Tears stream down her face. "No," she finally gasps out. "No way."

Teddy grits his teeth. "Yes."

Charlie realizes he's serious and she shakes her head, wiping at the tears. "No. I've met some of the women he's been with before. There was Emma. She was elegant and beautiful. Duncan was bold and sexy. Saw him with a hooker in New Vegas. She didn't look very smart but she was very beautiful. Anyway, I'm not his type. No way."

"They don't sound much different than you. Why wouldn't you be his type?"

"I'm just not."

"I think you're wrong."

She falters a bit, suddenly unsure. "He just thinks of me as a kid. We've traveled together and fought together, sure. We've also tried to kill each other. I guess we're friends these days, but that's all. I mean, yeah, sometimes he looks at me in this intense way." She looks thoughtful. "Like he's seeing inside my head. And yeah, he's good looking. I'm not blind. Sometimes he's funny and he's a really good fighter."

"See? Told you so."

"Told me what?"

"You do like him."

"Let's just play cards." Charlie stares at her hand, but is lost in thought. Teddy doesn't push. Instead he watches her as she thinks. She really is beautiful, even if she doesn't fully see that herself.

Bass returns as they are wrapping up their second hand. Charlie glances up and she has to make an effort to keep her eyes trained on his face. He's wearing the second pair of pants and nothing else. The pants were once half of a pair of pajamas. Reindeer pajamas.

Teddy snickers. "Nice pants."

Bass shrugs. "They're clean, so I don't care. Would it have killed you to steal two shirts though?"

"I brought what I found. You should be thankful that I even found what I did." Teddy turns to Charlie. "Are you okay? You look funny."

Charlie just shakes her head. Her eyes are back on her cards and she's trying with all her might not to think about Monroe's bare chest and hard little nipples and the way that his arms are corded with wiry muscle. She doesn't know why seeing him like this should bother her. She's seen Bass without a shirt before.

She huffs out an exasperated sigh. It's the kid's fault. He's put ideas in her head – bad ideas. Bad ideas that she has pushed to the back of her mind for over a year. Damn. Her eyes wander over to Monroe again. His back is to her now as he is sorting through the things on the old baker's rack. The criss cross of faded scars across tanned muscles just add to the allure. Even the reindeer pants which hang precariously on the curve of his ass look good.

Very good.

She turns to Teddy and narrows her eyes. "I think I hate you," she whispers harshly to the boy.

He laughs as he lays down his cards. "Game over. I win."

Bass turns to the table. He's been making a meal of sorts and holds out a chipped china plate. On it he's placed slices of apple and cucumber along with jerky and biscuits. "Staying for supper, Kid?" he asks Teddy.

Teddy looks back and forth between Charlie and Bass. "Nah. I'm heading out. Can I visit tomorrow?"

Bass nods. "But before you go, let me write a note for you to take back to town. We need you to leave it with your Uncle Joe or someone else that is trustworthy. If someone can send help, that'd be great. But if they're worried about the guys outside, we understand. Like you said, they won't be here much longer, probably. Mostly, we just want someone to know to be on the lookout for Miles Matheson. That's important."

"Who's Miles Matheson?"

Charlie feels a clenching in her chest. "My uncle. We're also hoping for word on Bass's son Connor. We think they're together."

Teddy waits while Bass writes a note on the brown paper and hands it over. "Don't lose it, okay?"

"I won't lose it. See you guys tomorrow." Teddy smiles and gives them a little wave before retreating into the darkness of the mine.

* * *

They sit and eat without speaking for a long time. Occasionally their eyes meet and hold. As the last bite of food disappears, Charlie stands. She takes the plate and brushes it off before setting it back on the rack. Turning she sees that Bass is also standing now. The room suddenly feels very small.

She clears her throat. "So, Teddy is an interesting kid." She wipes damp palms against her thighs and tells herself that she's not nervous. Not at all.

"Yeah. Interesting." Bass leans against the stone wall, watching her, his expression unreadable.

"What?" Charlie asks.

"Nothing. Kid had some crazy ideas. That's all."

"Why? What did he say to you?"

Charlie feels something tightening in her gut. Heat rushes to her face, so many emotions suddenly on the surface after being buried for so long. She would just shove them back down except that the look on his face tells her he's struggling with something to. Surely it couldn't be the same thing. Surely he doesn't really have any interest in Charlie. Surely the kid was wrong…

Bass pushes off the wall and takes a few steps toward Charlie. "He thinks we're –"

"What? Thinks we're what?" Charlie's heart starts to pound as he comes closer.

"Thinks we're involved or something. Crazy, right?"

"So crazy." She takes a step closer to him, drawn like a moth to a flame. "As if you would ever be interested in me."

Bass raises an eye brow. "I think you have that turned around." He steps closer still.

They are so close now that she has to look up to meet his gaze. "What do you mean?" She's holding her sweatpants up with one hand. With the other, she places her palm flat on his chest, surprised to find his heart is hammering in time with her own.

"I mean –" Bass reaches out and tucks a damp tendril behind her ear. "No way would you think of me that way. I'm too old and there's too much history between us."

She leans into the hand that gently cradles her cheek. When she speaks, her voice is barely a whisper. "And you think I'm just a kid."

"No." He shakes his head. "I don't think you're a kid."

"But I thought…" Her eyes are big and blue and he wants to drown in them.

"You thought wrong." Bass brings his other hand up, cupping her face. He watches her, waiting to see if she'll push him away. She doesn't. He leans in and his lips brush against hers with a softness that surprises them both. His hands slide around the back of her head, his fingers tangle gently into her hair.

Charlie leans in closer, pressing her body flush with his and sliding her free hand around to the small of his back. She tries to deepen the kiss but he won't be hurried. Refusing to rush, his mouth ghosts over hers and Charlie feels a growing ache in her core.

She wants more. Charlie has wanted this for so long, and knowing that he wants it too is almost too much. They've waited long enough and now she wants all of him. Charlie tries again to take charge. He leans away from her. "Slow down, Charlotte. Slow down."

"But why?" She caresses the curve of his butt, firm and perfect under faded reindeer cotton.

Bass's voice is rough and low. "After everything that's happened – after everything we've been through and how long it's taken to get us here? I don't want to make a mistake."

"What mistake? What do you mean?"

"Is this what you really want? Me, like this? Was the kid right about how you feel?"

"Yeah. He was. Was he right about you too?"

He nods, his lips brushing against her cheek and settling against her ear. "Hell yes."

"So why are we going slow? We both want –" She rubs her face against his throat like a cat. Her body hums against his.

Bass lifts her chin with a fingertip and nips at her lower lip. "Don't worry. You're going to get everything you want. I promise. I just want to go slow. I want - "

"What do YOU want, Bass?"

"I want to savor this. I want to savor you, Charlie. Trust me?" He takes her ear lobe between his teeth, pulling gently.

"You know I do." She reaches both arms up, wrapping them around his neck. As she does so, the sweats slide like silk to the floor.

"No underwear?" he chokes out.

"Washed them after my bath. They're drying right now. Kid didn't bring extra panties."

Bass groans. "Making the whole going slow thing kind of difficult."

"Good. I don't want to go slow." Charlie arches against him, feeling the rigid heat of his cock against her belly. His cotton pants are straining to contain it. "Want to go fast."

Bass shakes his head. "We can go fast next time." He palms her bare ass in his hands, sliding the fingers between her supple cheeks, finding her wet and swollen.

Her breathing becomes shallow as he strokes slowly through slippery folds, and her voice is husky. "Next time?"

Bass leans in, his mouth almost touching hers. "There's gonna be lots of next times, Charlie. That's a promise." He delves in then, his tongue dipping between her lips to deepen the kiss even as his fingers rub against her center.

Charlie has never been kissed like this before. He's exploring her mouth slowly and thoroughly. His hands move up to the waist of her tee shirt and he inches it up and over her pert breasts. He takes his time and the feel of the fabric dragging over her nipples, makes Charlie shudder with want.

He releases her mouth only to dip down and take a pebbled bud between his teeth. He sucks and licks. Every move is soft and slow and gentle and excruciatingly hot. Charlie digs her fingertips into his curls, holding him in place as he worships her breasts, one after the other.

And then he's kissing her again and Charlie is sure she'll die from the leisurely pace at which he is determined to ravish her. His lips are soft and firm and his hands roam freely over her curves. He strokes her clit until she's on the verge of exploding and then he draws away, only to tweak a nipple or suck on her throat.

He instinctively knows how to touch her in exactly the right way. He knows how to drive her wild with need. He searches for and finds her every breaking point, sensing exactly when to stop her from shattering. And every time he brings her to the edge, he retreats at precisely the last moment.

Charlie is panting and writhing against him. She digs into his back with her fingernails, crisscrossing the white scars with fresh pink scratches. He doesn't seem to notice. She reaches for his cock which she can feel, thick and throbbing against her, but he pushes her hands away. "Want to see how you taste." His breath is hot against her cheek and he leads her to the narrow bed.

She follows Bass eagerly, willing to do anything to get the release she craves. She's on her back and he rests his hands on her thighs, pressing them apart slowly. His eyes stay focused on hers, his gaze more intense than she's ever known. She doesn't just feel physically naked. Her soul lies bare to him.

Bass hovers over her body, his hands supporting his weight as he leans in to press his lips against hers once more. His kiss is still soft, but more insistent than it had been. He works his way down her throat and across her collar bone. He sucks dark welts into the heaving flesh of her breasts and bites lightly at her peaked nipples. Lower still, he licks a trail down to her belly button, swirling his tongue in the cleft before moving on.

She's on her elbows, watching him and panting. She aches for his mouth on her pussy and he knows this, so of course he avoids it. Instead he trails tiny bites down her inner thigh, kissing the bend of her knee and then more kisses all the way to her ankle. He bites down gently on the arch of her foot and Charlie cries out.

"Shhh," he says with a wicked smile, nodding toward the mine's door. "The clan will hear you."

Bass makes his way back up to her pussy. He moves in slowly, filling his senses with all that is Charlie. He licks and sucks and inhales deeply the scent that is uniquely hers. He fucks her dripping entrance with his clever tongue, slow and sure even as a finger slides down lower to explore her puckered hole. He moves to suck her clit into his mouth and he watches her face even as his own is buried between her legs.

As has become his habit, Bass disengages moments before Charlie can come. She keens for release, gritting her teeth as he rises to his knees between her own. His body is tight and hard and muscled. His skin is flushed and his cock thrusts against the faded fabric of those ridiculous pants.

Charlie has never seen anything more beautiful in her life than he is right now.

He smiles at her then. It is a smile that rocks her heart in the same way his kisses have rocked her flesh. She knows in this moment that maybe she could love him. She knows that maybe she already does.

Bass sees the realization in her eyes, the knowledge that this is bigger than the physical sum of its parts. This is heart and soul and history and future. It is the result of pain and loss and hate and friendship and a respect that has grown from the ashes of all the darkness they have survived to get here. It is just a beginning of something far bigger than they are.

His eyes blaze with the heat of a white-blue flame as he moves to cover her body with his own. His mouth is on hers once more. The kiss is urgent now, needful and wanting. Gentleness is gone, replaced by raw desire. It is all that she can do to scratch and pull at the stupid reindeer pants that separate her from the thing she wants most – to be filled by Bass.

Bass wriggles his hips to help her and as soon as his cock springs free from its constraint, he reaches down. Grasping himself firmly, he runs the head of his dick up and down her folds, spreading her juices, readying them both for what comes next.

"Waited long enough," she moans.

"I think you're right." He eases into her slowly, stretching her inch by inch. She is tight and the friction is intense. His brow breaks out in a sweat as he uses every ounce of self-control he has in an effort not to pound her senseless. His body begs for it, but he promised her slow.

And slow is what he delivers.

Bass sinks into her bit by bit, only to pull out and repeat. Over and over he thrusts into her heat, feeling her vaginal walls relax to accommodate his girth. She pivots to meet his movements, moaning incoherently when he fully buries his cock in her pussy.

He groans at the exquisite feel of Charlie's slippery sheath gripping his cock. Staying seated within her depths, he brings first one and then the other of her legs over his shoulders. She grunts when this new position allows him to go even deeper. This pleasure borders on pain and he can feel her shaking under him with exhaustion and unmet need.

At last, Bass picks up his pace. He thrusts into her steadily with strong and purposeful movements, his eyes trained on hers. Reaching between their bodies he begins to pinch at her clit, and finally allows Charlie the release he's denied her for so long. Tears stream down her face as her body quakes around him with; her pussy clenching his dick like a vice as she comes.

Bass does pound her then. He can't help himself. He thrusts fiercely two and then ten times before pulling out of her heat. He pumps his dick once more in his fist to finish, spurting ropes of seed across her belly before collapsing half on top of her spent form.

They lie in silence as their breathing slows to a normal pace. He rolls to his back at her side. "You know, if I had a clue that would happen, I'd have told you how I felt a long time ago."

She grins. "Yeah, same here." Charlie sits up and straddles him smoothly.

He lazily reaches up and cups her breasts, playing with her still tender nipples. "Thank you Charlie."

"For what?"

"For giving me a chance. For making me get out of the storm. For saving me."

"Well, it was my turn."

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah, so it's gonna be four chapters. It seems I just can't help myself. Leave a comment if you have a minute. Would love to hear what you think.**

 **Also, the holidays are coming. If you are interested in joining this year's Very Charloe Christmas fan fic gift exchange, you should go to thegoodship's site and read the instructions for signing up. We'd love to have some more folks to add to the mix. Also, theorgyarmada on Tumblr is doing a holiday event as well. Check out their blog for more details on that one.**


	4. Chapter 4

The temperature had dropped overnight and the air in the mine is cold and damp. Bass and Charlie snuggle on the old bed under the blanket Teddy had brought them. They make up for the hole in the blanket by sharing their body heat.

Bass lies awake, watching Charlie sleep. She is beautiful. Her skin is flushed and her lips are slightly parted. She frowns and whimpers and he pulls her closer into his embrace. "Shhhh," he whispers, hoping to calm her before the dream escalates into a full-fledged nightmare.

She arches her back and moans, her eyes still tightly shut. Too late.

"It's okay, Baby. It's okay." He strokes Charlie's brow which is now beaded with sweat. He kisses her temple and feels her heart pound against his own. "Shhh," he says again, clutching her tightly to him.

Charlie wakes with a cry; her eyes search frantically until they settle on his concerned face. She looks away, trying to hold back the tears that threaten.

"I'm here. You're okay. Everything is going to be okay."

She loses it then, curling into him, burying her face in his throat as the sobs shake her body. She clings to Bass and cries until her body is spent and there are no more tears left to shed. "They were with me. We were sitting around a fire and we were happy." Her voice is scratchy and barely more than a whisper.

"Who?" But he has a feeling he knows.

"Everyone. My Dad and Danny. Maggie. Nora. Jason. Mom and Grandpa. They were all there and they were happy and alive." She sniffs and then lets out a shaky sigh. "I asked where Miles was, and Connor."

"And?"

"They said they didn't know. Then they were laughing again about something that Teddy said."

Bass smiles slightly. "Teddy was there?"

"Yeah. He was telling them jokes. It was weird but also funny. He's a good kid, you know?"

"Yeah. He is a good kid." He waits for her to finish telling him about her dream.

She absently strokes his collarbone as she continues. "My Dad disappeared first. He faded away right in front of my eyes. Then Danny. They left me in the order they died. By the time Jason faded away, I was crying and begging for them to stay or come back. In the end it was just me and Teddy."

"And?"

"He said he thought Miles and Connor are okay. Then he faded away too and I was left all alone."

"Where was I?"

She shrugs. "Not there." She tries to sound flippant, but he can hear the pain in her voice. "I was alone."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, but I am here now. I'm here for you. Okay? I'm not leaving you."

She nods slowly before leaning up to kiss the corner of his mouth. "Bass?"

"Yeah?"

Charlie presses her body against his, arching into him. "Show me."

"Show you what?" He asks with a whisper.

"Show me that I'm not alone. Show me you won't leave me." She pushes him flat on his back and straddles his waist before scooting lower. Her wet center cradles his hardening cock as she slowly rocks against him. "Make me forget that terrible dream."

He considers saying no. He considers telling Charlie that they should talk more. He considers these things, but when she leans forward to kiss him and her perfect breasts brush across his chest, he can't focus on anything but helping Charlie forget her pain.

In no mood for lengthy foreplay this time, Charlie reaches down and strokes his cock as she kisses him. He is soon more than ready and she lines him up. Slowly she lowers herself, taking him in with a relieved sigh.

Bass groans at the feel of her body and at the sounds she's making. He grasps her hips as she slides up and down his cock, taking in more of his length with each downward stroke. The tempo builds along with the tension that crackles between them. They are moving as one, panting and groaning as she begins to bounce faster.

Their eyes lock as she rides and he slides his hands up to capture her breasts. He pinches her nipples and kneads the firm mounds. She fucks him harder and faster, loving the feel of the tension that coils deep within her belly.

Bas is feeling it too. He thrusts up harshly, slamming his cock into her cervix as she meets his upward thrusts with downward moves of her own. Her pussy begins to clench and spasm around him and she moves faster still. Long curls sway around her shoulders.

"Get off, Charlie," Bass orders her gruffly, feeling that he can't possibly hold out much longer.

"Not yet. Need you." Her eyes burn into his.

"Charlie." His voice is low and full of warning.

She slows, but shows no intention of dismounting. She continues to glide along his shaft, bending down to kiss his lips as she moves, languidly now. "You said you wouldn't leave me, Bass."

"But I meant…" His balls are tightening. He clamps his eyes shut. "Get off."

"No." She sinks down, sheathing him completely. She moans as her vaginal muscles are grasping his cock like a vice. Slowly she begins to swivel her hips in a circular motion. "Don't leave me, Bass. Don't ever leave me."

Charlie reaches down behind, stroking his tender balls and this is when all coherent thought flees his mind. Bass yanks her closer still, his fingers digging into her as he finds his own release inside her heat.

She falls on him, gasping for air. He strokes her back gently, running his fingers through her hair as he slowly returns to his senses. "At some point, we'll need to talk about that."

"We probably need to talk about a lot."

"Well, we'll have plenty of time. Like I said, I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

They are dressed in their normal clothes which had mostly dried overnight. Bass is eating pickles out of one of the dusty jars, pulling them out one at a time with his finger. Charlie is sitting on his lap. Now and then, he feeds her a pickle. They aren't speaking except with their eyes.

A lot is being said with their eyes.

Teddy clears his throat when he enters from the inner cavern of the mine. "Uh, am I interrupting something?" He may be only thirteen, but his smirk says he knows exactly what's going on here.

"Nope," Bass says with a grin. When Charlie starts to stand, he pulls her back down. Leaning close enough that his lips brush her ear, he says, "You're not going anywhere, Charlotte. Stay."

Teddy rolls his eyes and holds up the canvas bag. "Brought you some stuff."

"Please say you brought food," Charlie begs. "Food that isn't pickles?"

The boy nods. "Got you some more jerky and two loaves of brown bread. Also there are some pears."

He dumps the food out on the table. Bass grabs a piece of jerky. Charlie takes a pear. They both begin to eat. "What else?" Bass asks.

"A big bottle that you can use to collect water, although you can probably just go out and get it whenever you need it now."

Charlie and Bass exchange a glance. "What are you talking about? We can't just waltz out there."

Teddy shrugs. "Clan has been moving out all day. Might be gone by now."

"Really?" Bass asks.

"Yeah. Kind of surprised you didn't notice."

Charlie stands and this time Bass doesn't stop her. Instead he walks with her to the door and they peer out through the vines. Sure enough the campsite has mostly cleared away. "Well, shit," Bass says. "Guess we weren't paying attention."

Teddy shakes his head. "Clearly."

"What else is in your bag?" Charlie nods toward the sack which clearly is still filled with something.

"A shovel."

"What for?"

"You said that you were going to bury the guy – the bones?" He looks uncertain, and a little sad.

Bass feels a tug at his heart. This kid had really grown attached to that skeleton. "Yeah. We thought we'd bury him out under the trees. That sound okay to you?"

Teddy considers and then nods. "Yeah, I think he'd like that."

Bass walks to the corner where the bones sit in the old wooden box. He pulls it closer to the door. "As soon as the last of the clan is gone, we'll take care of that. You can help."

"Yeah, okay."

Charlie senses that he wants to change the subject. "So what else? Anything?"

He pulls one more item from the bag. It's a wrinkled envelope.

"What's that?"

"A letter for you." He holds it out to Bass. "One of the guys in town got back from Austin this morning. He brought a bunch of letters with him from the people who are from Willoughby but are in the hospital right now. He also brought a list of the names of the dead. He hung the list and all the letters up on a bulletin board."

Bass's voice is hollow. "And?"

"There was nobody on the list named Miles or Connor, so then I looked through the letters and saw one for you." Teddy shrugs. "Unless there is anybody else named Bass?"

"Nah. Just me." Bass takes the letter, his hands suddenly shaky.

Charlie sits back down and puts her head in her hands, waiting.

Bass opens the envelope and pulls out a sheet of paper. He sighs, relieved. "It's from Connor." He scans the first few lines and his face breaks out into a slow grin. He begins to read:

 _Dad,_

 _We're in Austin. Miles is going to be here for a while yet and I'm going to stay in case he needs anything. We wanted to wait around for you guys but the storm was bad. There was this wall that had fallen on Miles's leg. It probably would have been fine, but the wall started to shift and he was worried he was going to get crushed. We knew by then that Rachel and Gene didn't make it. Miles didn't want to die. He tried to cut his leg off, but just couldn't do it. Asked me to. It was fucking awful, but I did it. Put a tourniquet on first just like you told me they used to do in the Civil War before a field amputation. Anyway, got him out just in time. The wall fell and he would have been dead for sure._

 _I carried him to Main street. He's a heavy bastard and he was bitching and moaning the whole way. We found a wagon full of some other injured people and we got a ride here. Miles lost a lot of blood and it was touch and go for a while. He's doing better._

 _You know, Miles and I never got along real good, but we're doing okay now. I guess if you cut off someone's foot, you start to see them differently. We're not friends really, but he needs me so I'm gonna stay here till he's ready to be released. You can send him a letter. He'd like that. Would give him something to do other than bitch._

 _Hope you guys are okay. Tell Charlie hi. Also, tell her we're both sorry about her Mom and Granddad. Miles was pretty upset about Rachel that first day. Now, he's doing better, but he's still worried about Charlie. Take good care of her, Dad. The doctor here said it will probably be at least a couple months before Miles is ready to travel. We'll keep you updated_.

 _Connor_

"They're both okay," he breathes out in relief.

"I can't believe it." Charlie stands. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. "Miles is alive? Connor is okay?" After that awful dream, she'd been sure that any news would be bad news.

He wipes at his eyes, nodding. Then he drops the papers to the ground and presses his lips to hers. The kiss deepens and Charlie grasps his ass, pulling him closer.

They break apart when they hear Teddy laughing. "So I guess I was right? Looks like you two do like each other? I'm guessing you liked each other all night long?"

He ducks when Bass throws one of the pears at his head. "Shut up, half pint."

Teddy just smirks and shakes his head. He walks over to the door and peeks out. "They're gone."

* * *

When the time comes to bury the bones, Teddy changes his mind and says he's going home instead. He disappears into the mine, his shoulders slumped.

Charlie and Bass bury the skeleton together. Bass makes a small wooden cross out of some broken tree branches and they pack up their stuff, leaving the old Otis silver mine behind.

As they follow the creek back to town, Bass and Charlie walk hand in hand. The sun is bright and the birds are singing. Hope surges up from their bellies and the future looks better than it has in days.

* * *

With the clan gone, Willoughby begins to recover and rebuild. The process is slow going, but Bass and Charlie dig in and help wherever they can.

Their first order of business is to find a place to live that isn't the old Otis. It actually doesn't take long. The house they find is small and less than a half mile from the old Porter homestead. The former owner had been an elderly woman who had died from injuries she had sustained when Bloody Mary had ripped through town. She had left behind no family, so Charlie and Bass had staked their claim. The house had needed some repair, but was worth the work required.

They don't really discuss their relationship. It is what it is. They spend as much time together as they can. He works to help folks rebuilding their homes. She helps in what passes for a doctor's office now that her Grandpa is gone. It has been strange really, just how easily Bass and Charlie have slipped into domestic bliss.

Instead of the two months that Miles's doctor had predicted, almost six pass before he and Connor return to Willoughby. The official story is that Miles needed more time to recover, but if Connor is telling the story, the real reason was a friendly candy striper named Evelyn.

They had received letters from Miles every month or so. Bass usually wrote back. He hinted at the fact that he and Charlie spent a lot of time together but never came right out and said they were a couple.

As the months pass, both Bass and Charlie have asked around to see if anyone knows where Teddy is. Nobody seems to know him at all. They are curious, but busy and figure they'll just ask Joe when he gets back to town. He and Heather have been staying in Austin with a sick grandmother, so Bass and Charlie haven't had a chance to talk to Teddy's uncle since the storm.

On the day Miles and Connor return, Bass and Charlie are at their new place. Bass is chopping wood behind the house. Charlie is sitting on a tree stump in the side yard, cleaning some fish for their dinner. They both hear the wagon approaching. Bass drops his axe and jogs over to Charlie. He puts his arms around her shoulders, and together they make their way to welcome their visitors.

Joe Mathews is driving the wagon and he gives them a friendly wave as they pull up. "Hey Strangers! I brought you something," he yells as they approach.

Before the wagon has even come to a full stop, Connor Bennett stands up in the back of the wagon. He grins happily at the sight of his Dad and Charlie. He vaults over the side of the wagon bed and runs over, embracing his father in a fierce hug. They pull apart. Bass is wiping his eyes. Connor does the same.

"Glad you're okay, Kid." Bass nods to the wagon. "He's in there?"

"Yeah. He's been bitching non-stop since we left Austin, but don't let him fool you. He's glad to be home."

Charlie tilts her head. "No hug for me?"

Connor laughs and hugs her too, pulling back in surprise. He points at her belly, which is swollen with pregnancy. "Uh, what's going on?"

"Oh, you know." Charlie says with a wink.

Connor looks from his Dad to Charlie and back again. Bass shrugs. "You guys were gone for a long time."

"Shit. Miles is gonna be pissed."

"He'll get over it." Charlie leaves them and walks briskly over to the back of the wagon. Miles is awkwardly making his way to the open gate of the wagon and he grins when he sees Charlie. "Good to see you, Kid."

She fights back tears. "You too. Connor said you are all grouchy."

"He hovers like a fucking mother hen. I need a break from that kid." Miles shoots her a dirty look when she holds out a hand to help him out of the wagon. "Don't you start. I lost a foot. Still got the other one. I can get around fine." He uses his one good leg and a wooden cane to work his way to the tailgate.

Charlie takes a step back to give him room. He notices her belly and screws his eyes shut tight. "Don't tell me. You met a nice guy your own age while I was away?"

She laughs at his obvious discomfort. "Not exactly?"

"Well, shit. You should remind that bastard that I lost a foot, not a hand. I can still shoot him."

Charlie can't help herself. She pulls him into a hug. "Shut up. You'll get used to it in time. And no shooting. Okay?"

"I'm not promising anything."

* * *

Bass and Charlie invite Joe to stay for dinner. It's the least they can do. He had let Connor and Miles tag along when he'd driven back home from Austin after all. Joe agrees with a smile and they all make their way into the little house.

Later, they sit around the old kitchen table, feasting on a dinner of fried fish, fresh bread, corn on the cob and apple sauce. Miles has his stump propped up on a chair. He's looking back and forth between Charlie and Bass. He hasn't said much since he figured out that Bass and Charlie are together. To say it wasn't the best surprise he's ever had, would be an understatement. Slowly though, as he's watched them together, he has started to loosen up some.

With his stomach full and a glass of whiskey in his hand, Miles leans back. "So, you guys are what?"

"What do you mean?" Bass asks, reaching for Charlie's hand across the table.

"You're having a baby. So what are you? Getting married? Shacking up? What are you?"

Charlie smiles slowly, squeezing Bass's fingers in hers. "We're happy, Miles. That's what we are."

Miles rolls his eyes, but he's laughing. "Fine. Just don't come to me if this all blows up in your face."

Bass shakes his head. "Sorry, Miles. No deal. After all, who do you think will babysit while we have hot make-up sex?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Miles downs the rest of his whiskey. He holds the empty glass out to Connor, who fills it without being asked.

Charlie glances over at Joe. "Hey, where's Teddy? We haven't seen him around lately."

Joe slowly sets down his glass and looks at Charlie. He has an odd expression on his face. "Teddy?"

"Yeah. Your nephew, Teddy Mathews."

Joe's face pales. "That's not funny."

Bass and Charlie exchange a look. "We're not trying to be funny. He helped us out after the storm when we were stranded in the mine. Brought us food and told us how to get around in there."

Joe stands, leaning forward and pressing his fists into the table top. "I don't know who you saw in the damn mine, but it wasn't Teddy."

Bass feels uncertain. "Something wrong, Joe?"

Joe stands up and runs a hand through his hair. "Teddy died ten years ago in that damned mine."

Charlie feels gooseflesh pebble on her skin. "That's not possible."

"Yeah, it is." Joe sits back down, settling tiredly into the chair. "My brother Mike was a nice guy. His wife had died and he and Teddy were inseparable. Then Mike met this girl. She was bad news but he thought he was in love. Eventually, she left him. Mike was all broken up about it. Teddy tried to get him to forget her. He talked his Dad into hike up in the hills to explore. Their favorite pastime had always been playing catch. They took their gloves with them and they were tossing the ball back and forth when it happened."

"Where was this?" Charlie asks.

"Up on top of Otis Hill, above the mine. Nobody knew about that open ventilation shaft until Teddy stumbled and fell into it."

"Oh shit." Bass mumbles. He's not sure that he believes this or not, but it's a good story.

"Well, he fell in. Mike ran to the opening immediately. He could see Teddy, but couldn't reach him. Tried to talk him into crawling back up the shaft. Teddy could have done it, but he was scared."

"The kid we met wasn't scared of anything."

Joe shrugs. "Some rocks fell when Teddy did, and he was sure there was going to be a cave in."

"And?"

"And he was right. The shaft collapsed and Teddy died, buried under the falling rock. Never found him either. That mine has so many caverns and passageways and nobody wanted to risk another cave in. It was really sad." Joe stares off into space, his expression haunted.

They sit in silence for a while. Finally Bass shrugs. "Yeah. You're right Joe. Must have been some kid playing a prank."

Joe nods before standing. He looks sad and tired. "Yeah. Had to be. Anyway, I'm going home. Thanks for dinner."

Charlie walks him to the door. She puts a hand on his arm. "Whatever happened to your brother?"

Joe smiles sadly. "He never gave up the search. Even lived in that damn mine for a while. I figure he died in there, but I never had the heart to look. Anyway, they're both gone. I hope that they're together somewhere now. They were always so close." He sighs heavily. "If you don't mind, I'm going home. Need to see if Heather got settled. I dropped her off on my way here. Thanks again for dinner."

"Of course. We'll see you later. Charlie leans against the door after it closes. She is deep in thought.

After a little while she returns to the kitchen and perches on Bass's lap. "Truth? Do you think that was Teddy or not?"

Bass ponders her question for a moment and shrugs. "Didn't your Grandpa always say the place was haunted?"

Charlie goes a little pale. "Yeah, he did."

"And now that I think about it, there were a lot of little things that don't add up about that kid."

"Like what?"

"The way he would just appear out of nowhere….the way he was so attached to that skeleton…"

Charlie covers her mouth with her hand. "Oh God. That might have been his Dad."

"Maybe, yeah."

Miles is watching them. "You guys aren't serious? Who do you think you are? The Ghost Whisperers?"

Charlie looks at him blankly. "Huh?"

"Never mind. Just listen to yourselves. You sound like idiots."

Connor shrugs. "I don't know, Miles. After all that weird ass Nano bullshit, it seems like a little old ghost story isn't any big deal."

Bass turns to Connor. "Want to go on a little field trip with us tomorrow? I have an idea and I'm gonna need some help. Charlie will have to sit on the sidelines for this one" He rubs her belly protectively. "And stumpy over there, will be no help at all."

"Dick." Miles mutters into his glass.

Charlie frowns, ready to argue that she is pregnant, not helpless. She changes her mind when she sees the set of Bass's jaw. Clearly her involvement is not up for discussion. She nods in agreement and feels his body relax.

"What kind of field trip?" Connor asks with an arched brow.

Miles shakes his head in disgust, but sings softly under his breath, "If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?"

Connor watches Miles with an odd look on his face. "Maybe you should stop drinking?" He picks up the bottle and starts to walk toward the counter with it.

Miles scowls. "Bring that back or I'll shove my stump up your ass, Dr. Venkman."

* * *

Bright and early the next morning, Bass and Charlie lead Connor to the old Otis. The men both carry shovels. Bass also has a pick axe. Miles had stayed behind. While in the hospital, he'd taken up reading and had buried his nose in a book as soon as the door had closed behind the others.

Unlike the first time they'd come to the mine together, this time Charlie and Bass know exactly where to go. They push aside the vines that hang over the entrance and walk inside.

"So you guys stayed here? Did you bring all this furniture?"

"We stayed here, but I think it was Joe's brother Mike who brought in the furniture. Probably got tired of walking back and forth to town." Bass looks around. The room looks unchanged since they had left it behind months ago.

"So where is this ghost of yours?" Connor asks.

Charlie shrugs. "He would just show up sometimes. Through there." She points to the framed doorway that leads into the mine beyond.

Bass lights two torches. He hands one to Charlie and beckons for them to follow. They wander down the primary shaft, taking a left when they come to the big cavern with the pool. They make their way across that space, and into another narrow corridor. Connor is soon lost as they make their way deeper into the cave, turning here and there. Bass finally slows. "We're almost there."

He comes to a stop and Connor and Charlie stop behind them. Charlie points to the far wall. A large pile of rocks is evidence of a cave-in from long ago. "See up there? Above that pile of rocks?" she asks Connor. "That narrow opening is the ventilation shaft. It's how Teddy got in and out."

Bass takes several steps closer, holding his torch high. "And according to Joe, it's in that shaft where Teddy died."

"So, what are we doing here, exactly?" Connor asks.

Bass kicks at one of the rocks. "We're going to dig through this pile of rocks."

"And what are we looking for?"

"Well, if Teddy died here and nobody ever found him, I guess we're looking for his bones."

"Why not just leave them here?" Connor wrinkles his nose in distaste. "Joe said he's been dead for ten years, right? Why move him now?"

"We buried his Dad out by the creek under some trees. I think Teddy would want to be buried with him."

Charlie agrees but can see Connor is still squeamish. "Oh come on. You sawed off Miles's foot, but you're getting grossed out by some bones? Don't be a pussy."

"Fine. I'll help. So is there a game plan here?"

"Yeah." Bass smirks. "Move the rocks. That's the plan."

They do exactly that for two hours, finding nothing. The original pile is now barely knee high and Bass is starting to wonder if he'd been completely wrong. Other than the sound of the rocks being moved, the space is silent. Charlie has wedged both torches in a crevice of the wall so that the light shines over their work space.

Connor stops, "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I found something."

Charlie walks up then. She'd been resting against a far wall, watching them and wishing Teddy was here to tell them they had it all wrong. She wishes he'd say he isn't dead and that it was all a big joke. Her heart clenches when she sees what Connor has found.

Bass walks to her and pulls her close. "We'll take care of him, Charlie. It's gonna be okay."

Charlie nods, swiping angrily at tears that fall, unbidden. "Yeah, all right." She hands over the canvas bag she'd brought along and Connor starts to carefully place the bones inside it.

Connor pauses again. "Hey, look." He holds up a youth sized baseball glove. "Just like Joe said. They'd been playing catch."

Charlie can't take anymore of this. "Need some air," she says before grabbing one of the torches and heading back out of the mine. In the room where they'd stayed, she stops in front of the baker's rack. There on the top shelf is the baseball glove they'd discovered on their first day here. Teddy's Dad hadn't brought any personal items except for this one. Clearly it was very important to Mike Matthews. She grabs it and walks out into the fresh air.

Taking a deep gulping breath, she feels calmer.

"You okay?" Teddy is sitting on the outside of the mine, leaning against the rock wall. He smiles sadly.

Charlie feels the tears coming again, but fights them off. She walks toward him, and sits at his side. "You lied to me. I asked if you were a ghost." Her tone is accusatory.

Teddy chuckles. "Didn't know you yet. Wasn't sure you could take the truth."

She thinks about this for a while and then nods. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense." She looks at him thoughtfully. "We found you, well your…"

"Yeah. I know. I think it's almost over."

"What?" But she thinks she knows.

"All the wandering. I think I can go now."

Charlie fights back a sob. She is suddenly overcome by loss - not just Teddy, but also all the ones who she's lost before. "Don't leave," she pleads.

He places his hand over hers. "You aren't alone, Charlie. You know that. You've got Bass and your uncle."

"I know, but I'm so sick of people I care about dying."

Teddy shakes his head. "To be fair, I was dead way before you started caring about me. You'll be okay. I think you are a lot stronger than you think you are."

"I'm going to miss you."

He nods. "I'll miss you too, but I'm tired, Charlie." He sighs heavily. "Tired of nobody seeing me. Tired of missing my Dad. Tired of being stuck in this damned mine."

"What do you mean, nobody sees you? We saw you a bunch of times. I see you now."

"Yeah, but you guys were the first. I've tried so many times. Nobody sees me. Nobody talks to me. Ten years was a long time to have nobody talk to me."

"So, why us?" Charlie's tears have stopped falling. She squeezes his fingers between hers.

"I don't know. Maybe you guys needed something from me just as much as I needed something from you?"

"What did you need from us, Teddy?"

He nods toward the door of the mine. "I think I was stuck here till someone could find me and put me to rest." He shrugs. "Just a guess, but it feels right."

"And we needed?"

"A little push toward each other." He grins. "I like you guys together. Glad I helped make that happen."

Charlie smiles back. "Yeah, me too."

Just then, Bass and Connor emerge from the mine with the canvas bag. When she looks to her side, Teddy is gone. Bass holds out a hand to pull her up. "Ready?"

"Yeah. I'm ready."

They walk hand in hand to the place where they had buried the bones belonging to Teddy's Dad. Connor and Bass dig a hole next to it, and carefully lay the bag inside. On top of the bag, Connor puts Teddy's glove. Charlie tosses in the larger one that had been Mike's. Her eyes are dry as they fill in the hole with loose dirt.

Bass makes a rough cross out of branches. It is similar to the first one he'd made, but this one is smaller. Connor says he wants to go check on Miles. Bass and Charlie stand over the graves, holding hands. "I really liked him. You know?"

Bass nods. "Me too. He was a mouthy little shit, but he had a good heart."

Charlie leans in close to Bass and he curls his arm around her shoulders. "Do you think we ever would have gotten together without his meddling?" She smiles sadly.

"I would like to think so, but I'm glad things happened the way that they did."

"Me too." She takes a deep breath. "Let's go. I'm tired and I want to check on Miles too."

They've only taken a few steps when they hear laughter. Bass and Charlie both look toward the mine. Two figures are emerging. One is Teddy. He's grinning happily up at a man who looks a lot like a younger version of Joe Matthews. They each hold a baseball glove. The man wraps his arms around his son and hugs him fiercely. They are both still smiling when they see Bass and Charlie. Teddy says something to his father and points in their direction.

Even from a distance, they can see the man's face clearly. His eyes are wet with tears but his grin is wide and genuine. "Thank you." He yells across the space between them. "Thank you for finding my boy."

Bass opens his mouth to answer, but in that instant the figures, still laughing and smiling at one another, are simply gone. It is as if they'd never been there at all.

"You saw that, right?" Bass asks, his voice cracking.

Charlie nods. Once again, tears are streaming down her cheeks. She sucks in a harsh breath and lets it out slowly. "Yeah. I did." She leans up and kisses him softly. "Let's go home now, Bass. I just want to go home."

"Yeah. Let's go home."

Bass picks up the shovel and starts to walk toward town. Charlie follows, but stops and turns to face the mine one last time. In a whisper that floats away on the gentle breeze, she gives her final message to Teddy, wherever he may be. "Thank you."

**END**

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 **A/N: A special thank you to Ryansdreammaker for plot hole filling and Romeokijai for doing a final read through and beta. You guys are awesome.**

 **Leave a comment if you have a moment. Thanks all.**


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